Tuesday, March 14, 2017

National Society of Professional Engineers - Preventing Cyberattacks

Miami-area resident William Pino most recently served as president of Main Street Engineering and Municipal Lighting Systems. In addition to his work with these Miami-based firms, William Pino is a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers.

The National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) is a nontechnical organization dedicated to ethical conduct in the field of engineering, and is open to licensed engineers from all fields. These professionals fight against unethical practices, build goodwill with the public, and advocate for fair treatment and compensation.

According to the NSPE, cyberthreats represent one of the most pressing concerns regarding America's infrastructure. Critical systems have been experiencing attacks at an accelerating rate in recent years, with attacks on water systems becoming especially disconcerting. The Department of Homeland Security reports that water-sector cyber incidents increased by 79 percent from 2014 to 2015.

The NSPE and government entities suggest that collaboration between engineers and information technology professionals may be key to designing systems that can withstand these types of attacks. To keep critical systems safe, engineers must not only create systems that work, but systems that work securely.

About Me

An alumnus of the University of Costa Rica, longtime Miami resident
William Pino studied electrical engineering and physics. After
graduating in 1975, he moved to the United States. William Pino began
his career as a vice president, outside sales representative, and
manager of Power & Lighting Systems, Inc. In that position, which he
held from 1981 to 1995, he helped grow the company from $4 million in
annual sales to $20 million. He concurrently served from 1983 to 1991 as
vice president of engineering at Columbia Engineering in Miami. There,
he was directly responsible for the design of four large sugar mills in
the Dominican Republic and Mexico.

In 1995, Mr. Pino founded
Municipal Lighting Systems, Inc., a firm dedicated to producing
innovative, effective lighting solutions for the municipal and outdoor
lighting markets. From 1995 to 2016, he built the company into the
largest outdoor lighting supplier in Florida with annual revenue of more
than $20 million. In 2000, he founded Main Street Engineering, Inc.,
which provided parallel electrical engineering and consulting services
for major outdoor lighting projects.

Subsequently working on
Miami International Airport, the port of Miami, and other major
projects, he has emphasized environmentally friendly design that
protects turtle habitats and reduces light pollution. Since 2010, Mr.
Pino has served as the president of Florida Lighting & Traffic, Inc.
The company has since become one of the top three traffic-signal firms
in Florida, with $8 million in annual sales.